complete noob to reloading...why not dillon 1050?

[aethyr]

In my life I've endeavored to learn some new things/hobbies/activities. When I learned to ride motorcycles years ago, everyone said start small. When I picked up tennis, they said avoid buying the best racquet. The general advice for noobs is to avoid buying the best equipment...I've sometimes followed that advice and other time I haven't.

So here I am considering reloading and the general advice is to avoid the "best" reloading equipment if you're a first time reloader.

My main reason for considering a 1050 is speed. I have a few hours of free time a day and frankly I don't want to spend it reloading...I'd rather be shooting. I'm willing to pay the initial cost of learning. The question is, can I learn reloading on a 1050 and will it actually be faster?

I am kind of a DIYer so I think I will stick with it. But at the same time I know some things you just can't DIY.

[Mikeb]

I'm not familiar with the 1050 but from what I understand it is intended as a professional machine. I don't believe it has the same warranty as the other Dillon presses and I understand it is more difficult to change calibers.
You never mentioned what you want to reload.
take care
Mike

[aethyr]

Pistol initially - 9mm, 40, 45...

But later 223/5.56, 6.5 grendel...

I shoot around 1000-1500 /month. I know from my research that those numbers point to dillon 550 or 650. But I don't want to spend 2-3 hours reloading.

I know the 1050 is billed as a commercial press. My main concern is speed. If its fast and learnable then maybe its for me.

[Triple R Munitions]

the 1050 is a great machine. but to get into reloading i would recomend doing some reading. start learning the lingo and why things do "what they do". the 1050 does alot of things all at once and can be intimindating because it is happenig so fast. but if your down in my area, y ar welcome to come by and take a look at one and how it works. im in 91010.

[Milsurp Collector]

complete noob to reloading...why not dillon 1050?

I shoot around 1000-1500 /month. I know from my research that those numbers point to dillon 550 or 650. But I don't want to spend 2-3 hours reloading.

I know the 1050 is billed as a commercial press. My main concern is speed. If its fast and learnable then maybe its for me.

Most people probably don't shoot as much as you do or are willing to spend $1559 at first. But in your particular case it might be a smart way to go.

[maschronic]

get yourself a 550. start from there. once you get better, move up.

[aethyr]

Thanks for the offer. That's kind of a drive, but maybe oneof these days. I do have a friend who reloads on an old dillon 450 so its not like I would be completely helpless.

[joelogic]

Sure you could start on a 1050 but it's through put is only a couple hundred more per hour. And yes it doesn't have Dillon's lifetime warranty which is important as a lot of pieces breaks. The 1050 shines in processing military brass. Total reloading time is far longer than the ratings for the machines. You have to sort, clean, process, polish, and load. Dillon saying the machine can load 800 rounds per hour is great but that assumes prepped rifle brass or you are loading pistol.

[mmartin]

if you want to talk about the usefulness of starting on the 1050, PM my hubby Dragonaught...
he's got a 550 and two 1050s (and a bunch of other stuff) and can talk to you about what it takes to get proficient on the 1050.
megan

[mmartin]

also search in the reloading forum on "reloading clinics forming" if you're interested in more hands-on and info... we've got a bunch of these clinics in planning right now. let me know if you need links.
megan

[Spyduh]

Pistol initially - 9mm, 40, 45...

But later 223/5.56, 6.5 grendel...

I shoot around 1000-1500 /month. I know from my research that those numbers point to dillon 550 or 650. But I don't want to spend 2-3 hours reloading.

I know the 1050 is billed as a commercial press. My main concern is speed. If its fast and learnable then maybe its for me.

This is a lot of information that I'm about to give to you below for a new reloader. I highly recommend you check out a reloading clinic before making a decision on buying anything first.
Sign up for one of them here http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=232460



If you plan on reloading that many calibers. You DO NOT want a 1050. 1050's are intended for commercial reloaders and people who rarely switch calibers and want to loads 2k+ in one sitting. Most people who own 1050's also own a 650 and/or 550s. The 1050's is not their only press!

650's are the best for people who want to reload multiple calibers. 650's can easily pump out 1k once you know what your doing and get into rhythm.

550's is better for new reloaders as 650's have a lot more steps to look out for and more potential to go wrong very quickly if you are not an experienced reloader.

I personally recommend either a Lee 4 Hole Turret or a RCBC Rock Chucker. Lee Turret is a great begineer machine to learn off of and you can get a kit from midway or where ever dirt cheap. You can also find great deals on used Lee's all the time. However if you plan on shooting long range target shooting or making hunting rounds. I recommend you purchase the Rock Chucker as this is a machine you will always want even if you have a progressive press to make extremely accurate ammunition.

Reloading is very expensive to get setup. Most people forget to realize that not only you need the press and dies. You will also need to buy brass, bullets, powder, primers, case (cleaning) tumbler, brass polish (use NuFinish (Car) Polish), walnut or corn media (I use both and stock both), Case separator, case gauge, calipers (measure the OAL), SEVERAL reloading manuals (this is mandatory you at least buy 1. The more the better because each manufacture uses different data).

This is just the basic stuff you need to buy and the deeper you get into it, the more expensive it gets. If you plan on reloading multiple calibers, you'll need to buy additional tool heads, dies, and components for it.

My 650 tool heals for pistol calibers cost roughly $200 with my C&R dealer discount. If you don't have a C&R, then it would cost roughly $250.
My 650 tool heads for rifle calibers cost roughly $300 with my C&R dealer discount. If you don't have a C&R, then I think it would cost about $350?

One nice feature with the 1050, is the built in swager. If you go with any other press you will need to buy a swager. Dillon Super Swager are about $100 shipped.


When you reload rifle calibers you will need to Trim! So on top of the already expensive cost, you will need to buy a trimmer for that 1050 which is about $250+. With out that 1050 trimmer, then its worse off than a 650 or 550. It's like having a big car with a small engine.

You will want to buy a Giraud or Gracey power trimmer. I purchased a RCBS Trim Matte Center, while it still beats the hell out of trimming by hand it's not effective for bulk reloading and better suited for match/hunting reloaders. I learned the hard way that the Giraud is the best for trimming bulk brass if you use a 550/650.

Edit: One benefit that Dillon has over most other reloading press companies is the massive community on http://www.brianenos.com/forums/

[aethyr]

I do plan to churn out batches of ammo, even though its for different calibers. So I plan to pump out maybe 8-10k of 9mm, then same for 40 and so on. I will not be switching calibers every few hundred rounds, regardless of which setup I end up getting. I don't want to spend time reloading every week. I'd rather devote 1 or 2 evenings and pump out all my caliber needs for the next 6 months and not touch it again until I need to.

My plan is to spend roughly 2x the cost of the reloader itself for my startup equipment. So for a 650 which costs about $600, I plan to spend around $1200. For the 1050 I would plan to spend about $3k in total equipment.

I will most likly add a bulllet feeder like GIS or kiss and will definitely get a case loader if I go 650.

[Spyduh]

I do plan to churn out batches of ammo, even though its for different calibers. So I plan to pump out maybe 8-10k of 9mm, then same for 40 and so on. I will not be switching calibers every few hundred rounds, regardless of which setup I end up getting. I don't want to spend time reloading every week. I'd rather devote 1 or 2 evenings and pump out all my caliber needs for the next 6 months and not touch it again until I need to.

My plan is to spend roughly 2x the cost of the reloader itself for my startup equipment. So for a 650 which costs about $600, I plan to spend around $1200. For the 1050 I would plan to spend about $3k in total equipment.

I will most likly add a bulllet feeder like GIS or kiss and will definitely get a case loader if I go 650.

11k of 9mm for just components is roughly $1100 with todays market price if you were able to get everything with a dealer discount or find dirt cheap deals. That's roughly 10 cents per round. You may be able to find cheaper if you look really hard and buy in massive bulk. This does Not include brass which ranges from as low as 3 cents to 6 cents per piece.

Make sure to budget those large component costs that into your fiances.

[aethyr]

ok maybe 11k was a bit high. But 5K easily. I just spent almost $460 for 2k rounds of factory 9mm, so if I can go over 2x that for the same price, and some initial cash and time investment, its worth it for two reasons:

1) cheaper in the long run

2) ab962 will make ammo too scarce

[Spyduh]

ok maybe 11k was a bit high. But 5K easily. I just spent almost $460 for 2k rounds of factory 9mm, so if I can go over 2x that for the same price, and some initial cash and time investment, its worth it for two reasons:

1) cheaper in the long run

2) ab962 will make ammo too scarce

Seriously, before you do anything. Go to your local Reloading Clinic and see if you even like reloading first. Getting a hands on before even buying anything is very important.

Reloading isn't for every! There are some people who buy all this equipment and turn out that they hate it with passion. I'm not saying you will or will not, but it's very typical that people jump into reloading and don't realize how much time and money it really takes to reload and they end up either boxing it up or selling the equipment at a loss. There's also different type of reloaders out there and not one press fits each reloading niche.

Which area do you live in I'm co-teaching the Sac Reloading Clinic if you're in that area and would like to join, please sign up here.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=232460

I actually live in the SF Bay Area but driving up to co-teach it with my buddy. After that first one, I might be teaching or co-teaching one closer in my area. Only problem is my garage is very small but my setup is very efficient for a few people at a time. Max is prob 5-6 people at a time.


But your best bet if you want to reload multiple calibers. Just even 3 calibers is to go with a 650. The 1050's are very difficult to change calibers from what i hear. It takes me 2-3 minutes to do a complete caliber change from say 45ACP to 223REM. This includes cleaning the press off and re-oiling/greasing spots and changing the priming setup from LARGE to SMALL.